Records Management

Records Control Schedules

Tip 1: Use Phrases in Quotes

Example: "audit files"

Without quotation marks, any page containing the words "audit" OR "files" will appear in results.
When surrounded by quotation marks, the words are treated as a phrase and only pages with the exact phrase "audit files" will appear in results. This is the most powerful query refinement technique.

Tip 2: Use a Plus (+) or Minus (-) Sign to Require or Reject Words

Example: audit files +system -withdrawn

You can require that the word "system" be in any documents in the results list by placing a plus (+) sign before it.
You can reject words with the minus (-) sign.
In the example, no documents with the word "withdrawn" will appear on the results page unless a search engine is programmed to make them appear above the regular results list.

Tip 3: Combine Tips 1, 2

Example: audit files +"Internal Revenue Service" +system

By combining phrases with a plus (+) or minus (-) sign, and capitalizing where it's appropriate, you can increase the relevance of search results.

Tip 4: Spell Out All Acronyms

Example: Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Avoid using acronyms for instance: IRS for Internal Revenue Service can be mistaken for another acronym such as IRS-CI and effect search results.

Tip 5: Searching by Job Number

Example: N1-016-00-001

NOTE: You MUST enter the job number in the correct format. Consult the SF 15 Numbering Key if necessary.